Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer had just returned from Ireland together secondary to Brando's grieving from the suicide of his daughter. The day production started the French set off an underwater atomic bomb near Tahiti where Brando owned an atoll. Then Kilmer learned that he was getting divorced when he turned on the TV. Kilmer immediately wanted off the set to be with his children but was forced to participate contractually by the studio secondary to the recent success of "Batman Forever", "Heat" and "Tombstone". The studio allowed him to change roles as a compromise. Just a few days later director Richard Stanley was fired from his life-long dream job by the studio due to their concerns over the direction of the film and actor Rob Morrow left the production. David Thewlis was short fused to replace Morrow. John Frankenheimer was hired to replace Stanley but from the start clashed with Brando, Kilmer, other members of the cast and studio executives regarding the direction of the film. Brando had trouble remembering his lines and had to wear a wire with his lines read to him, but given all that he was going through nobody was surprised. Thewlis then fell and broke his leg. Frankenheimer was looking for a scapegoat on a film he knew he should have never agreed to take over. Given the body of work exhibited; Brando, Thewlis and Kilmer had every right to be upset with Frankenheimer. Thewlis even refused to participate in promoting the film and did not attend the premiere. Thewlis has noted several times that this film was the "most negative experience" he has ever had as an actor. Frankenheimer elected to attack Kilmer knowing the actor did not have a PR staff (like Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks did at the time) and also failed to counter attack Joel Schumacher's acidic remarks when Kilmer refused to star in the fourth Batman film or Schumacher's "A Time to Kill" after "Batman Forever" wrapped. To make matters worse fired director Richard Stanley crashed the wrap party incognito dressed in character as a mutant animal to quietly check on the progress of the production. Frankenheimer was an extremely demanding director in every capacity, and was famous within the industry for telling even highly experienced stunt drivers inane things like "I don't wanna see any brake lights". David Mamet worked on his next film "Ronin" as a script doctor and significantly re-wrote the script and helped save the film. Yet Frankenheimer raised issue insisting that J.D. Zeik be given story credit and billing over Mamet despite Mamet's exponential work. Frankenheimer would not back down and Mamet eventually requested that his name either be removed entirely or placed under a pseudonym to get Frankenheimer off his back.

The famously difficult actor - who had previously clashed with Tombstone director George P. Cosmatos and whom Batman Forever director Joel Schumacher called "childish and impossible" - was still not satisfied and he resolutely refused to give his time to even the most perfunctory rehearsal.

On the third day, when Kilmer did finally show, it was clear that not only did he not know his lines, he did not even appear to know which scene he was supposed to be in.

Marlon [Brando] described the film at one point as trying to do a crossword puzzle while plunging down an elevator shaft.

New Line and Warner Home Entertainment will bring The Island of Dr. Moreau to Blu-ray in July. This controversial horror film stars David Thewlis (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) as a man who washes up on an uncharted island overseen by Dr. Moreau (Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire), a mad scientist who has created a species of human-animal hybrids.

While New Line and Warner have not provided the full technical and supplementary specifications for this Blu-ray, the distributors have revealed that they will be offering the film in its unrated director's cut.

Sorry to disappoint, amigo, but a director never rats on their cast members, no matter what. Something to do with that pesky samurai code of honor. Indeed that was one of the things I found most reprehensible about Frankenheimer's behavior, namely his dismaying penchant for mouthing off in the press and trying to blame the cast for the project's downfall. If you watch 'LOST SOUL' carefully, you'll note that I never honestly have a bad word to say about any of them. Certainly, Val was at the height of his powers back then, post DOORS and immediately post BATMAN and was, perhaps, a bit of an armful but ultimately (like Kurtz in Conrad's 'HEART OF DARKNESS') I blame the Company. If the corporate powers that be had backed me we could have overcome the cat fights and gotten the show on track. Their crucial lack of support and the question mark over whether Brando would still be available to work on the project after his daughter's suicide created a power vacuum in which I was unable to act with any real authority, let alone move the production forward. As for, Frankenheimer - I recall the night he died. I got a phone call from Fairuza at about three in the morning and heard her husky, little Mercedes McCambridge voice on the other end saying "Have you heard? He's dead! The bastard's dead." "Oh, Ru," I said. "Just let it go. It was only a goddam movie and its over now. Its best not to speak ill of the dead." "Naaahhh", she hissed. "Frankenheimer was different. He doesn't deserve respect. I hope he sucks dicks in hell!!! I hope he sucks dicks in hell!!!" - so whatever we may think of him now, Val is telling the truth about Frankenheimer - and for that matter he's telling the truth about Brando too. The big man was always a perfect gentleman in his dealings with me, although its clear he lost all faith in the production - and for good reason too. If he started treating the film as a bad joke, it only reflects the sad state of affairs that prevailed on the location. Brando was smart enough to be able to tell at once it was a disaster and while he was a nightmare to deal with for the Company he was always courteous to the locals, the beast folk and the extras, another detail that can be gleaned from a careful viewing of 'LOST SOUL'...